So I asked Cesar Presbott when Yankees fans might see Dellin Betances in pinstripes.

“Don’t be surprised,” he says, “if you see him in September.”

Whether it’s next September or in 2010, the New York City kid is the next big thing in The Bronx, and not just because he’s 6-foot-8, 245 pounds.

Betances, 20, is the type of pitcher teams dream of having in their system. He’s talented, smart, mature and hard-working. He was set to go to Vanderbilt until the Yankees swooped in and signed him out of the 2006 draft, picking him in the eighth round and paying him as a top pick, giving him $1 million.

In a way, Betances could be to the Yankees what David Price is to the Rays. His desire and bloodlines are strong. He was born in New York to Dominican parents. His father, Jaime, was a boxer and drives for a car service. His mother, Maria, keeps a close eye over the family, and Betances’ two older brothers, younger sister and former youth coach Mel Zitter are there to help him as well. The family now lives in New Jersey.

“We’re really close,” Betances says over lunch at El Nuevo Caridad on 191st and St. Nicholas. “They’ve always been there for me to motivate and help me.”

Presbott said he believes Betances will wind up being a No. 1 or No. 2 on the Yankees staff. Presbott, a distinguished fatherly figure, doesn’t just scout players, he carefully monitors their progress and always is there with an encouraging phone call when needed.

“I wouldn’t be here without Cesar. He’s the best,” Betances says. “You always hear from him and that’s good.”

Betances once struck out 20 batters in a seven-inning game at Grand Street Campus High School in Brooklyn. He became the first player from New York City to be honored as an Aflac All-American in 2005. He began concentrating on baseball at age 13, giving up basketball. He was at Yankee Stadium when David Wells threw his perfect game.

He was 9-4 this year at Single-A Charleston, winning five of his past six starts. He knows what it will take to make it to the new Yankee Stadium.

“I’m working hard on repeating my delivery, and I’m working hard this offseason on getting stronger,” says Betances, who said he hopes to be pitching here by 2010. “Pitching at Yankee Stadium will be such a privilege, it’s my dream. I can’t wait to have a chance to play there.”

El Nuevo Caridad is well known in baseball circles. It’s a haven for Latin players. The uniforms of Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez, who went to high school just up the block, line the walls. On the menu are three rows of pictures of famous players with dishes named after them. One of those is free agent ace CC Sabathia, who is the Yankees’ No. 1 target this offseason.

It’s never easy for a young Yankees pitcher to break through, but Joba Chamberlain’s success has given others hope. Betances and Chamberlain were drafted the same year.

Chamberlain is a baseball baby at age 23. When you consider Betances is three years younger, you begin to understand how quickly he is moving up the ladder.

Betances owns three pitches, a fastball in the mid- to upper-90s, a sharp curve and a changeup. Because of his size, he is working hard to control his mechanics.

He also owns something else. Presbott, in scouts’ lingo, calls it “pitchability.” It’s all about command.

“Even in high school, Dellin had a professional look about him, a presence and, naturally, [was] very intimidating,” scout Steve Markovich says. “His hands were so big that if he covered a baseball you couldn’t even see the white of the ball.”

Those hands offer a firm handshake, and when Betances talks, he looks you straight in the eye.

When he finishes his meal he is asked to step outside the restaurant for a picture. Soon, a crowd surrounds Betances and three other Yankees prospects – pitchers Ryan Flannery, Rob Semerano and outfielder Andres Perez.

Betances offers a comfortable smile and warm greetings, a natural New York fit. Standing off to the side is Presbott, majestic in his blue pinstriped suit, taking it all in with pride. It won’t be long before Dellin Betances is back home pitching, a glistening New York diamond.